A Study on Trends in Economic Sanctions Research

―From the Effectiveness Debate to Diverse Approaches in Economic Sanctions Research―

Abstract

Like other branches of social science, research on economic sanctions is influenced by shifts in the social environment. The roots of modern sanctions can be traced to the criminalization of war after World War I. Introduced as an alternative to warfare, initial focus in sanctions research was predominantly on evaluating their effectiveness. The endless debates around how to define the objectives of sanctions underscored this focus. Following the end of the Cold War, there was a renewed expectation for sanctions to uphold universal values, such as human rights, leading to vigorous debates on the implementation of smart sanctions designed to minimize civilian suffering. Today, following the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the sanctions imposed on Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, discussions on the effectiveness of sanctions have reemerged. Additionally, a new generation of research is exploring the reconfiguration of sanctions in the context of a digitally networked global economy and the weaponization of economic chokepoints, broadening the study of sanctions into more dynamic and complex perspectives.